The Launch Pad: A Quiet Morning Before Houston's Rematch…

By the Rockets Nightly Desk · Tuesday, October 13

Nothing new has surfaced on the Rockets' desk since Monday. The preseason split with Dallas is behind them, and the next marker is Thursday's finale against the Thunder, with the regular-season opener eight days later.

Rockets Nightly artwork — Illustration by Hoops Nightly.

Last season

Houston went 52-30, with a net rating of 5.4 that ranked sixth leaguewide, an offense ranked eighth and a defense ranked fifth. Sengun averaged 20.4 a night to go with 8.9 rebounds and 6.2 assists, while Durant shot 41.3 percent from three on his way to 26.0 points. Those numbers are the baseline this group is chasing again.

This summer

The core addition was finalized July 6, 2025, when Houston sent Jalen Green and Dillon Brooks to Phoenix in a seven-team deal for Kevin Durant, now 38 and in his 19th season. Payroll sits at $205.5 million across 16 contracts, $5.1 million above a luxury-tax threshold of $200.4 million.

This week

The preseason series with Dallas split. Houston won 135-117 on the road Friday, Oct. 9, behind Sengun's 16-10-10 triple-double, 20 points from Eason and 17 from VanVleet. Dallas evened it Sunday, Oct. 11, winning 132-115 at Houston, with Smart scoring 20 and Sheppard 17 in the loss.

Thursday

Four rotation pieces picked up rest-related tags before the finale against the Thunder: Adams, Sengun, VanVleet and Durant all share Thursday as their target, none tied to a described injury beyond rest or, for Durant, 'not injury related.' Adams played just 32 games last season, and whether he's ready for a full workload by Oct. 21 is still unanswered.

Oct. 21

The regular season opens at home against the Mavericks — the same opponent from this month's split — with the Rockets at 0-0 and a clean slate for Udoka's fourth year running this core.

Next Houston closes the preseason slate Thursday, Oct. 15, against the Thunder, then opens the regular season Oct. 21 at home against the Mavericks.

When do the Rockets play next?

Houston faces the Thunder in its preseason finale Thursday, Oct. 15, then opens the regular season Oct. 21 at home against the Mavericks.

Is Houston over the luxury tax this season?

Yes. The Rockets' payroll is $205.5 million across 16 contracts, $5.1 million above a luxury-tax threshold of $200.4 million.

By the Rockets Nightly Desk, written from the club's data and the reports on file, with every name and number checked against them. How the desks work.